The difference between a bad writer and a good writer is that a good writer knows he needs help. Publishers used to have people on staff to provide that help. Not anymore. We are on our own. Yet we dare not trust to our own evaluation of how good our writing is. There are three … Continue reading It takes a village to raise a book
Learning
Mission statement for writers
I confess that I am quite cynical about the term "mission statement." In my experience in the business world, a mission statement is an exercise in public relations where management attempts to come down on the right side of every hot button issue of the day. Creating a mission statement has generally been an exercise … Continue reading Mission statement for writers
Dumb spam emails
Spam emails show up in my inbox every day, despite the increasing sophistication of spam filtering done by ISP's. These emails tell me that my account at such and such a bank has been frozen and I need to click on the link provided to resolve this issue. In almost all cases I don't have … Continue reading Dumb spam emails
Less is more (and more is less)
Too many new writers have the idea that they have to use interesting words to entice others to read their prose. They load up on colourful adjectives and adverbs, the more syllables the better, and replace simple nouns and verbs with ones that are larger and weightier. Readers get weary trying to wade through that … Continue reading Less is more (and more is less)
Why some fats are healthier than others
Years ago nutritional experts told us that cholesterol was the main culprit in heart disease and that we should try to eliminate it from our diet. The food industry happily jumped on the bandwagon, rejigging the formulation of their products and telling us how heart healthy their new products were. Then the nutritionists said, no, … Continue reading Why some fats are healthier than others
The evidence is clear – and it’s being willfully ignored
No fault parenting versus no excuse parenting
This is a story of two young boys. The first came from a stable, two parent family; the second from a home where the father had left for parts unknown. Boy Number 1 has an advantage, don't you think? Well, let's see. Boy Number 1 takes a jackknife to school one day, the teacher sees … Continue reading No fault parenting versus no excuse parenting
Why parents still matter
Here is one paragraph from an article that appeared in the Autumn 2014 issue of City Journal. The writer is Kay S. Hymowitz and the subtitle states : Families shape their children’s prospects more profoundly than anything government can do. Universal preschool is by far the most popular idea for easing poor children’s early disadvantages. The … Continue reading Why parents still matter
Universal public confusion
If an educated electorate is the best defence against arbitrary government, the survival of political freedom appears uncertain at best. Large numbers of Americans now believe that the Constitution sanctions arbitrary executive power, and recent political history, with its steady growth of presidential power, can only have reinforced such an assumption. What happened to the … Continue reading Universal public confusion
Learning the wrong lesson
Nelson was born with the umbilical cord around his neck, causing oxygen starvation to his brain. He was slower in learning during the early years of childhood and his parents were encouraged to place him in a school for children with special needs. The parents were disappointed with the results, or rather the lack of … Continue reading Learning the wrong lesson
Flatlander Faith 